Scientists, they have the craziest fun. When they’re not busy fussing over complex particle research nobody else really understands, it appears that staff at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) like to terrify the easily terrified by staging mock human sacrifices.

An internal investigation is underway after a video emerged, showing what appears to be an occult ritual being carried out in front of the statue of Hindu deity Shiva (‘the destroyer’) on CERN’s Geneva campus.

Check out the creepy clip below, which was picked up by Agence France Presse (AFP). There are black cloaks, slow walking and even a staged stabbing.

CERN has responded to the reports by saying that its staff were just having a laugh, but got ever so slightly carried away.

“These scenes were filmed on our premises but without official permission or knowledge,” a spokesperson told AFP in an email. “Cern does not condone this type of spoof, which can give rise to misunderstandings about the scientific nature of our work.

“Cern welcomes every year thousands of scientific users from all over the world and sometimes some of them let their humour go too far. This is what happened on this occasion.”

Imagine what they get up to when the shots start flowing. [AFP via Guardian]